Interviews

We can’t stop these men. After launching the Cavemen Speak, Stacs of Stamina and Gunporn projects, Siaz from Belgium and Marcus Graap from Sweden teamed up again under the Zucchini Drive name. Together, they released the Being Kurtwood album, one of the nicest hip hop records for the beginning of this year. Their concert with Bleubird last winter in Paris at La Guinguette Pirate was a first opportunity for us to meet personally this European counterpart of our beloved North American indie rappers.

La Mano Fria is not a musician. But as the key man behind the Beta Bodega Coalition, he plays a major role in Miami’s hip hop. His few days in Paris last February allowed us to ask him a few questions about the history of Miami electronic and hip hop scene, politics and messages, and his core activity: design.

In the first half of 2005, Sleep released a new solo record as well as the first real album of the Chicharones, his duo with Josh Martinez. We thought it was the appropriate moment to interview him about all his past, present and future projects. In this interview, Sleep tells us a bit more about his background, Oldominion’s current projects, his many links with the Canadian hip hop scene and what becoming a father changed in his rapper's life.

First, I tried to contact Ceschi Ramos, whose Fake Flowers was one my favorite of last year. Or David, his brother, who’s just released a new album. But when I contacted them, all the members of Toca were available, them being the two Ramos brothers plus Tommy V. And Xololanxinxo. This was an opportunity for a joint interview with the four of them. Some of their answers got raving, particularly at the end of the interview, but some others provide us with key information about these artists’ forthcoming projects and releases.